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Chieftain Hulks Ripon Removal


postiegaz

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Hi everyone,

Time to pick your brains,  recently I was allowed to access Ellington Banks training grounds Ripon to look at two Chieftain hulks.

One is a mk11 mostly intact but without barrel or engine pack. The other is a SP Mk1!! 

How do we go about getting the MOD to release the MK1 before some bugger comes along to scrap the old girls?

I have lots of interest in restoring the MK1 but I don't know how we can get either of them released.

Any thoughts will be helpful.

 

Gareth

 

 

 

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All very commendable , however I am of the belief a Training Area / Range should have remaining  a bit of history , ambience and of correct MOD appearance - not a stripped and sterile acreage.    Grump , grump. grump grum

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First port of call is the C/O or O/C of Rippon, Then go from there, It would make a good training exercise for the The Reserves (I know a few Recce mechs who could make a weekend out of it)

In theory it is scrap and not on the books anymore so it would be down to him/her but I doubt it would be so easy. 

I would doubt they would relese it with the gun in tact, unless you have a 120mm cannon on your FAC. 

At the end of the day if you don't ask you cant get......... good luck, I tried to prise a vehicle of a training area when I was on Exercise, never got anything back but never really went to the main man. 

Edited by bigduke6
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Agree with starting off with the local CO, he will know, or find out, how to take it further up the chain. The other year I "came across" a 25pdr that had apparently been abandoned and made enquiries via the relevant CO. He was very helpful and I eventually got an official reply back saying that the gun was an ex gate guardian and was due to go to Malta so not for sale/disposal. 

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I received this email from Major Ennis who is the training safety officer and whom is in charge of Ellington Banks, 

Hello Gareth

I have raised the issue of refurbishing the Mk1 Tank Hulk with my HQ in Warminster, coincidently and may well be fortuitous they are looking in to all tank hulks, gate guardians and other such pieces of equipment around the MOD estate. 

If I hear anything further on policy with regard to this issue going forward that may be of interest to you I will be in touch.  

So its a not a no but not a yes.

 

 

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all wrecks belong to and are administered by the defence training estate in warminster. they seem ok wioth the idea of selling them but they have to be offered for tender through normal mod disposals. if the wrecks are on an old range the area has to be cleared by eod first

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20 hours ago, postiegaz said:

Ellington Banks is a driver training area mostly, so no live rounds on site. 

I believe the Mk1 is worth saving as its a historic vehicle and shouldn't be scrapped.

 

During my time in the TA with 234 Fd Sqn RE at RAF Leeming we used to use Ellington Banks for Demolition Training which involved the use of Plastic explosive mainly PE4.

However I cannot recall actual use on vehicles and there was also a size limit on the charges used on site.

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  • 3 months later...

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